Tell Me About It
by TeaCullen
Summary: At 18 years old, Isabella Swan has never really been away from her home in Forks, but now she’s off to college and dragging her best friend Jacob Black along. The start of college means a new begin and a painful look back. *Full Summary Inside* AH/AU/OOC
1. Escape

**Title: Tell Me About It**

**Type: AH/AU**

**Rating: M for paranoia, subject matter, and future citrus.**

**Summary: At 18 years old, Isabella Swan has never really been away from her home in Forks, but now she's off to college and dragging her best friend Jacob Black along. The start of college means a new begin and a painful look back. When the wounds are ripped open at their seems, will Bella's new neighbor be able to stitch them closed again, or will he to be nothing more than a new scar?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I'd still be writing on here but not from my living room in my mothers house. Also that's the only time I'll say it.**

**Point Of View: Bella's for now.**

**Quote Of The Day: You'll Never Leave Where You Are Until You Decide Where You'd Rather Be. - Author Unknown**

18 years here and I'm finally getting out. No more constant cloud cover, no more endless rain. I would miss the beauty of the luscious green and I would miss my friends, my family, and my home but it was time for me to move on. For now at least.

Besides, I at least get to take my best friend with me and Forks will always be here for me to visit.

"Are you finished packing yet Jelly Bean?" my best friend Jake called up to me.

I laughed as he came bouncing into the room wearing his favorite Madonna shirt and blue jeans with a rainbow studded belt. If that didn't scream queen in the small town of Forks, nothing would. Thankfully the people of Forks and neighboring reservation La Push were very accepting of Jacob.

"Does it look like I'm finished packing, Jake?" I asked him, gesturing around my half empty room.

"To be honest Jelly, it doesn't look like you'll ever be done packing."

I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder. He was right, as he often was. I would never be completely packed because as much as I wanted to, I couldn't take everything with me.

"Don't worry. The house and everything in it will still be right where you left it when we come back, Jake reassured me.

"Yeah, it's not like Charlie will go all Mr. Clean on me while I'm gone," I conceded.

"Sue might though," he laughed.

"Nah," I decided, "She'll be too busy with Seth to even bother with my room," I shot back.

As much as I loved my step-brother, he was a complete and total slob. A hazmat suit was a definite pre-requisite for entering his room.

"Oh God, she shouldn't even attempt anything with his room. She'd die of exposure and I love her far tom much for her to die such a cruel death," Jack said laughing his ass off. I could only imagine the images running through Jake's perverse mind right now.

I shoved a box of books that I could barely lift into his muscular arms and shoved him towards the door. "Put it in the moving van mister. Or would you like to crash here again tonight?" I asked, slapping his butt as he went.

I couldn't help but laugh at his quickly retreating form. Neither of us wanted to put this off any longer. We both knew if we didn't get out now we might never get out.

As I packed up the final box I would be taking with us, I finally started breaking down. The tears came fast and hard, not giving me a chance to prevent them.

Jake came upstairs silently, taking the box of knickknacks from my arms and set it on my floor. Without a word, he engulfed me in his arms, and more importantly, his love.

After holding each other up for 18 years through the worst shit in our lives. , we always know just what the other needs and right now, I just need a hug.

10 minutes later, Seth came bounding into the room wearing nothing but his running shorts. He was glistening with a light sweat so I doubt he'd actually run that far.

"I knew you weren't gay!" Seth announced. "You love feeling my sister up way to much."

I laughed and my tears fell from joy now, not sorrow. I would miss this life and my family but I knew I had to do this. Everything would still be here when we got back.

Jake, not to be outdone, said, "Come here big boy and I'll show you just how I swing."

I couldn't stop laughing as Jake stalked forward towards a scared Seth. Seth backed up until he bumped into the closet door. He scrambled in and locked the door behind him.

"Come on out big boy! You can't hide in there forever," Jake taunted.

When there was no response from Seth, Jake tried again, "Fine pookie, don't come out. But at least let me in. We can play 7 hours in heaven."

"I thought it was 7 minutes in heaven," I chuckled.

"Not the way I play it honey," Jake said deviously, winking at me.

I laughed a little more before picking up my final box and walking towards the stairs. I could hear Seth's screams behind me mixed with Jake's cackling laughter.

Paul, Quil, and Embry, were standing beside the moving van when I came out. Sam, Emily, Leah, Collin, Brady, and Jared were just pulling up.

"Hey boys!" I called out to them.

"Hey Bella!" They called back before Quil grabbed the box out of my hands and bounded over to the truck to put it in with the rest of Jake and I's garbage.

"Why is Seth screaming?" Embry asked.

"Jake must have got the closet open," I laughed.

"Ah…" was all anyone had to say. We all knew what it meant.

Embry came over and gave me the first of what was sure to be many hugs.

"Be safe angel," he whispered in my ear.

"You'll find her one day. Just be patient. Love has a funny way of sneaking up on you," I whispered back.

Paul came up next, hugging me with nearly bone crushing force.

"Come back to us some day tiger kitten," he whispered in my ear.

"Don't sweat the small things and don't lose your temper. Life's a series of ups and downs. Your going to get back to the top eventually," I told him.

Quil came back over to give me a hug and a soft kiss on my cheek.

"Go show the world just what your made of. Never let the big city bring you down baby girl. You're stronger than they'll ever know," he whispered quietly.

"Take care of Claire. She needs you more than _you'll _ever know," I whispered back giving him one final squeeze.

Sam walked up 6'7" and scary as hell if you don't know him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up, hugging me close. He was always the father of our little group.

"Be good and don't break too many hearts," he chuckled in my ear.

"Take care of my bun in the oven. That baby is worth twice his or her weight in gold," I giggled as he tossed me up before catching me.

Emily came up next. Her marred face pulled up in a still beautiful smile. Her scares were long and cruel. A testament to the bear that attacked her.

"My precious angel. You're all grown up. Take Chicago by storm baby girl," Emily whispered. If Sam was the father figure, Emily was definitely the mom.

"I will. You're beautiful. Never forget that. And your baby will be beautiful too," I told her, wiping the tears from her face.

Emily went to stand by Sam once again as Collin and Brady rushed towards me. They sandwiched me between them and I could quickly feel my lungs begging for air.

"Can't…breath…" I choked out.

"Eat a deep dish for us!" The said together.

"Go cliff diving as often as you can for me," I laughed.

Jared came up next, tentatively hugging me. I laughed and held him tight until he relaxed.

"Don't forget us," he sighed.

"As long as you don't forget me," I told him, kissing his nose, which I had to climb half way up him to reach. Freaking giants…and I'm the midget.

Finally only Leah was left. "Still hate you," she muttered.

I laughed hugging her as I whispered, "Still hate you too."

Leah and I have always had a unique relationship. Sister or not, I would always love her. But when we first became sister, lets just say hate doesn't real cover what we felt for each other.

I walked over to stand by the rest of the boys as Seth came running out of the house with Jake hot on his heels.

Seth ran and hid behind Leah, his strong as nails sister.

"Hand over the boy and no one gets hurt," Jake growled towards Leah.

"Touch the boy and you'll spend your life as a eunuch. Got it?" Leah hissed back.

"You win this one, but I will be back some day. Just remember that," Jake told Seth through Leah's chest.

"If you're done torturing my brother, we should get gone," I chuckled.

"Oh I'll never be done but you're right, we should go," Jake sighed.

Jacob went through his goodbyes as I took one final look at the house I'd spent my first 18 years. Where I lost my first mom, found my true mom, and had the best and worst childhood a girl could have. Charlie tried but bad shit still managed to find me.

The day Renee had walked out of my life, I'd cried. But the day Sue walked in, I never looked back. Walking out when I was 5 was the best thing she could have done for Charlie and I. Sue, Leah, and Seth made our lives complete. Renee sent the odd Christmas and birthday card every now and then but it was never consistent it was always full of bullshit lies.

"Let's go, shall we?" Jake suggested.

I climbed into the cab of the truck as Jake started the engine. As he put the car into drive and pulled away, I felt my heart lighten and the adrenaline rush my system. I was finally free. Well…like 3000 miles closer to free anyways.

It's gonna be a long ride. I propped my feet up on the dash and sighed.

"How far do we have to go?" I asked Jake as we passed Forks High School and the past flew out the window.

Jake laughed and said, "About 2200 miles princess."

"Ugh," I groaned.

5 minutes later and Jake started singing, "East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'! We're gonna do what they say can't be done. We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. I'm east bound, just watch ole bandit run."

A very long ride indeed!

**A/N: **So…this is the first chapter. It's pretty different from what I normally right. I am only going to say this once so don't forget it m'kay? My Jacob is gay because I want him and Bella to have a non-threatening relationship. This isn't going to be an all sunshine and roses story, so expect pain, sorrow, and people to fuck up. No I don't have a plan or an outline. I write what's in my head and heart. I'll write chapter 2 as soon as possible. This doesn't mean the end of Things Remembered but I need a break from all of it. So tell me what you think. : ) As in **REVIEW!** Outfit's are on my Polyvore. Link is on my profile.


	2. Getting There

**Quote Of The Day:** _Who needs an easy button? I have a death, destruction, and dismemberment button!_

"So what part of Chicago are we going to be living in?" Jake asked as we drove through bumfuck no where, Washington.

"Hyde Park. It's apparently a ritzy neighborhood. The lawyer said the house is worth like $1.7 million. It was built in 1886 or something like that," I told him, watching the trees fly by. Second Chance by Shinedown played softly in the background.

"We're gonna be living in a fucking MANSION? Sweet!" Jake said laughing.

"Yup! 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and 3 wonderful floors. It's the oldest surviving house in Hyde Park. It's an Italianate brick house…whatever that means," I told him.

"Why did Renee and Phil buy such a big house for just the 2 of them?" Jake asked as he made yet another turn.

"I don't fucking know. All I know is that I inherited it and that I'm the only child so I get everything. Both Phil and Renee's will's left everything to me," I told him.

Renee might have been my biological mother but when I heard she and her long time husband Phil had been in an accident, I didn't cry. I simply felt bad about Phil. I doubted Renee would have cared if I'd died so why should I care if she did?

She left my dad and I and married Phil Dwyer, a minor league baseball player at the time. 3 years into their marriage Phil went Pro. The Chicago Cubs signed him on for $3.75 million for his first year alone and it just kept building from there. He was their star pitcher before he died. I read about their deaths long before the lawyer had a chance to contact me.

"You hungry yet?" Jake asked, switching topics so fast I wanted to kiss him. Again.

"Jake we left like 3 hours ago and you ate an hours before that. How can you even begin to be hungry?" I laughed. I'd made Sipsey's Southern-fried Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits, Fried Green Tomatoes, and I Feel A Sin Coming On Cupcakes.

"I only had 2 pieces of chicken," Jake said defensively.

"And 4 biscuits, plus a shit load of tomatoes, not to mention the cupcakes you had for desert," I added. Jake and the rest of the La Push boys, nicknamed The Wolf Pack, had some of the hardest to fill stomachs I'd ever seen.

Emily and I took it on as a full time job. I felt bad about leaving an almost ready to pop Em in charge but Leah had agreed to do ¾ of the cooking.

"Oh look! A McDicks. Oh mommy can we please stop? Pretty please with Johnny Depp on top!" Jake begged me, jumping up and down in his seat.

"You know McDonald's is bad for you right?" I asked him.

"Of course. That's the best part! I'm going in," Jake exclaimed, swerving the truck into the parking lot.

I sighed and got out of the truck, stretching out my stiff joints. It was going to be a hard 3 days. Hopefully it would be a quick ride. Next time I'm flying. After all, I sure as shit have the money now.

I got my pajamas out of my bag and went to change in the bathroom while Jacob ordered enough food for 3 plus a salad for me.

While I ate my salad, Jacob changed too. He looked like a model when he came out of the bathroom, strutting over to our table in the nearly empty McDicks as Jake so lovingly referred to it.

After Jacob finished eating we got back on the road east, towards our new home. 7 states and 2,150 miles later, we crossed the Wisconsin border. It had been a long 3 days as I had predicted and now, in a mere 2-3 hours I would be in my dead mothers house.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I'd never had any desire to see Renee or seek her out and now, I'm almost to her house. I'll never get to ask her why. I'll never get the answers I wasn't sure I would ever be ready to seek.

3 days was a lot of time to think and think I did. I came up with 3 questions I would ask her if I could.

1) Why did you do the things you did?

2) Did you ever really love me?

3) Did you ever think of me and feel regret?

I felt I knew the answers to questions 2 and 3 would be 'no' but it was the first question that really bothered me. The simple why. I scratched my arm habitually and looked at Jake.

"How much farther?" I asked, tired and wanting a damn bed to sleep in.

"About 30 miles princess, assuming our GPS is right. Don't worry, I'll have you in a bed within an hour okay?" Jake cooed at me.

I sighed and curled into a ball, willing any form of sleep to come to me. I would even welcome a comatose state at this point. I've always had trouble sleeping while traveling. Once I get where I'm going, I'm fine but the trip there always sucks.

Sooner than I thought possible, Jacob was shaking me awake. I rubbed my eyes and looked at Renee and Phil's white brick house. I couldn't help but gasp at the sheer beauty of it. I could see now why someone would spend $1.7 million on a house.

I held my arms out and Jake picked me up bridal style. I wrapped my arms tight around his neck as he walked towards the house.

"What's the pass code for the alarm system?" Jacob asked quietly.

"1901..." I whispered.

Jake punched the code in and opened the door, walking into the foyer. After closing the door he went upstairs and down the hall to the master bedroom. He put me in the bed that smelled like lilacs and pulled off my shoes. Jake took of his shoes and pajama top, crawling in bed beside me.

It was never sexual or awkward. It was how we usually slept together. Jake was the first person to see I was in trouble and actually help me.

When I went cliff diving for the first time, it wasn't recreational. That day I had every intention of killing myself. I had left a pile of letters on my bed for all my friends and family. I'd even written one for Renee. After Jake rescued me once again, we told everyone I'd simply did it for fun but hadn't noticed the weather.

I still have all the letters but the one to Renee is the one I read most often.

As I slept in Renee's bed, my dreams couldn't help but turn to her. My dream was of the last memory I had of my mother. The next morning she had disappeared.

*******

"Isabella? Where are you?" Renee called out, rage lacing her voice.

"I'm in here mommy," I called as I made Barbie kick Ken in the butt. They were mad at each other again. Barbie always hit Ken but he never hit back.

"What are you doing Isabella?" Renee roared, grabbing me roughly by the arm.

I felt the tears coming down hot and heavy. What had I done wrong t his time?

"Your worthless, you little piece of shit," Renee yelled, slapping me.

I screamed and wretched my arm out of her hand, running out the open front door. Miss Victoria was in her garden next door, weeding her flowers. I ran towards her with tears running down my face. She gathered me up in her arms and asked me what was wrong.

"Mommy hit me! I'm scared!" I cried into her shoulder.

"James! Get out here," Miss Victoria shouted to her husband.

James rushed out of the house, "What's wrong Vicky?"

"Renee hit Bella. Please hold Renee off while I take Bella inside and get a hold of Charlie," Miss Victoria told James, rushing us inside. Just as Miss Victoria closed the door, I saw Renee running towards us.

Miss Victoria locked us in the bathroom while I heard James and Renee fighting out front. I had a feeling James wasn't winning.

Miss Victoria pulled out her cell phone and called the sheriff's office, "Hey Donna it's Victoria. Is Charlie around?…Yes this is an emergency…Thank you…Charlie? Yeah, you need to get home now…Renee hit baby Belly. We're locked in my bathroom right now…I can hear Renee and James fighting outside…Of course she can…Okay…Thank you so much Charlie…Bye…"

"Shh…It's okay Bella. Your dad is on his way. Your going to stay with James and I tonight okay?" Miss Victoria told me, rocking us back and forth.

"Okay Miss Victoria," I mumbled. I didn't care where I was staying tonight as long as Renee wasn't there to hurt me.

*******

"Jelly Bean? Wake up angel, it's only a dream," Jake whispered, shaking me awake.

"What time is it?" I muttered into his shoulder, sleep lacing my voice.

"Noon baby girl. I made lunch. Our kitchen is so amazing," Jake told me. I chuckled at the goofy smile on his face.

"What did you make?" I asked him as I tried to stretch out my severely stiff muscles.

"Your favorite beef and shrimp stir-fry," he said, planting a soft kiss in my nose.

That woke me up. I hopped out of bed and onto Jake's back. He carried me down to the kitchen and waiting for me was the most delicious dish ever.

"How long have you been up?" I asked quietly, in-between bites.

"Since 9. I wanted to let you sleep. I explored the house. I found a letter…addressed to you," Jake whispered.

I dropped my fork and barely registered that it clattered to the floor. Jacob pulled the letter out and handed it to me. With a shaking hand I opened it.

It was from my mother.


	3. Meeting The Neighbors

**Quote Of The Day: I hope we'll be friends forever, together we'll always be. I don't think you understand just how much you mean to me. And one day when we part our ways, we'll think back to the past and think about how happy we are 'cause our friendship will always last.**

My eyes stung as I read Renee's letter to me. It was dated almost a year ago, on my 18th birthday.

_Dear Isabella Marie,_

_My dearest baby girl, today is your 18th birthday. This is my first letter to you. I have so much I need to say, starting with I'm sorry. I never should have laid a hand on you. _

_A year after I left, I sought out professional help and got on a very strong medication. On your 8th birthday I came to see you. You were in our yard with a little boy and a little girl. Your father was sitting on the swing with a beautiful lady. It was then I realized I would never be able to have either of you back. _

_I moved to Arizona where I met Phil Dwyer. We got married less than a year later. Phil and I visited Forks every year. Always watching you from a distance. I wanted nothing more than to talk to you but my theripist thought it best for you if I kept my distance._

_I want you to know I love you. I've always loved you. I made so many mistakes with you. Bt I need you to understand it was never your fault. Not ever._

_You're so beautiful. Always remember that. I saw the scars when you were 14. I don't know why you started but I hope you've stopped by now. You're worth so much more than that. _

_I have such exciting news for you. I'm pregnant! I'm only 5 weeks along but I'm still so excited. I won't find out the sex until Christmas but I can't wait._

_I need to go for now baby girl but I'll write you again soon. I love you._

_Love always, _

_Your mother,_

_Renee_

I was shaking as I put the letter down. My lunch was all but forgotten.

"She saw Jake. She saw before you, before Charlie. She saw and she did nothing," I whispered.

Maybe if Renee would have said something I wouldn't be the way I am today. Damaged goods, broken beyond repair.

Jake wrapped me up in his arms and pulled me close. The steady beat of his heart kept me sane…for now. "Shh angel. Renee could have told the whole town. She could have shouted it from the top of the tallest building but you know in your heart it wouldn't have mattered. Everyone in Forks and La Push thought she was batshit crazy. Always remember angel, the people who truly love you have never left you."

"I love you," I told him as I clung to him tightly. He was right and I knew it. I just didn't want to accept it.

"I love you too Jelly Bean," he said back, giving me a gentle squeeze.

"Have I thanked you lately for saving me?" I asked him, gazing deep into his black eyes. So full of sorrow, yet still so vibrant. Jake was my platonic soul mate. One day we might part ways but we'd always keep each other in our hearts. Forever.

"Every day you stay with me," Jake whispered. "Every day you treat me like a normal person. Every day you breath is enough thanks for me."

Jake picked my fork up off the floor for me and placed it in the sink. As he went to get another one the doorbell rang.

"Go get dressed Belly. Your clothes are in the chair next to the bed," Jake said as he stuck my lunch in the fridge.

I sighed and started walking upstairs. I silently cursed whoever interrupted my lunch and took in all the photographs lining the stairwell.

There were pictures of me as a baby, pictures of Renee with Charlie and I, pictures taken from a distance as I grew up, and then there were also pictures of strangers. Of Phil and Renee and their friends and family.

At the top of the stairs the photographs became paintings and I wondered if they were ones that Renee had done. I went into the bedroom and tried to shake the thoughts from my mind.

In the chair I found a skimpy white top, white shorts that didn't cover a damn thing, and white ballet flats. The only thing not white was the skull key necklace that Jacob had given me after Mike Newton had broken my heart.

I was dressed and back downstairs in under 5 minutes. I heard Jacob's hearty laugh mixed with a light laugh like wind chimes. It sounded like a booming voice was causing all the laughter.

Coming into the living room I saw a pixie of a girl perched next to a bear of a man on the bright white sofa. White was definitely the color of the day.

"Hello," I whispered softly, always a little leery of strangers. Yet another thing I have Mike and Tyler to be thankful for.

"You must be Isabella! I'm Alice and this is my brother Emmett! We're going to be the best of friends," Alice, the bouncing ballerina, practically shouted before jumping into my arms and hugging me tightly.

"Just Bella," I muttered. Somehow, it wasn't all that awkward. As Alice sat back down, she seemed to almost…vibrate.

"What Mrs. 27 Cups Of Coffee a day means is we're you're neighbors and we were also friends of Phil's. As for the best friends thing, she's probably right. Ali is kind of psychic," Emmett said, ruffling her hair.

"You should buy stock in Maxwell House," I said laughing.

"I already have. Actually I own stock in most major coffee companies including Starbucks. And it's better coffee than shit like coke and x and all that shit," Alice said, still looking like she was vibrating. I couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't tried coke. Or meth.

"So Bella, speed dressing your new Olympic sport?" Jake laughed, making me want to slap him…just a little.

I flipped him off instead and said, "Well babe if you didn't like looking at my ass so much, maybe it would have taken me longer if you'd left out something oh I don't know…modest."

We all laughed and smiled. Happy to be in each others company. It made me curious to learn about them. Since they didn't look anything alike.

"So Alice, Emmett, how long have you been our neighbors?" I asked.

"Well since you've only been here like 12 hours, I'd say not even a day," Emmett joked, winking at me.

"Actually, I've been there since I was 7 so 11 years now and Em's been there since he was 6 months old or so, so he's been there 18 ½ years," Alice explained…kind of.

"Carlisle and Esme can't have children of their own so they adopted 5. Though Edward is technically also their nephew…but Carlisle and Esme are still mum and dad to them. The twins Jasper and Rosalie have been their since they we're 10 and their 18 now," Emmett clarified. That made a lot of sense. I would adopt too if I found out I couldn't have kids of my own.

"Carlisle and Esme are great people. They tried really hard with all of us but it wasn't their fault they got 5 of the most fucked up kids in the world. Y'all will love them though. It's hard not to," Emmett smiled.

"Well I for one can't wait to meet them," I said honestly. I knew all to well how hard it could be to raise 'normal' kids. Even if you were the best parents out there.

Emmett's phone started playing 'I'm in love with a stripper' and he quickly answered it.

"Hello Rose…No, Alice and I are at Phil's…Yes, Isabella is here but she prefers Bella…Okay…Are you at the house?…Oh you're still at the shop…Is Jasper with you?…Okay…No, we haven't seen Edward today…Okay, we'll see you both soon…I love you too…Bye baby," Emmett said, smiling brightly. I felt like I was intruding on a very private moment as Emmett said goodbye. The look of love and adoration on Emmett's face as he hung up his phone made me think of both Mike and Tyler but neither could hurt me anymore.

"Are Rose and Jazz coming over?" Alice asked, her face strangely devoid of all emotion.

"Yeah…Should they not?" Emmett asked, suddenly concerned.

"No…It's fine. I just have a really weird feeling. But I think it's about Edward not them. Anyways, tell us more about you," Alice chirped, back to her vibrating self.

We continued to talk for almost an hour. Of course Jake had to hit on Emmett…twice…but thankfully he just laughed it off. I think Emmett and Jake are going to be great friends too.

Someone hit the doorbell and Jake stood up once again, telling me to stay seated.

"This is my house too!" I yelled to his retreating form. Jake often did things for me to make life easier. It's not that he thinks I couldn't handle it, he just always wants to be my protector.

Jake came back in the room with a beautiful woman dressed all in black, except for her skirt which was a reddish purple and a sexy man who looked like a movie star.

"I take back what I said Emmett. This guy is the sexiest man I've met!" Jacob said, laughing. Alice, Emmett, and I laughed with him, knowing it was a joke. Who I assumed was Jasper and Rosalie just looked…confused.

"To bad he's mine," countered Alice. "Jacob, Bella, I'd like you to meet the twins, Jasper and Rosalie. Jasper is also my boyfriend and Rosalie is Emmett's fiancé. Again, we're adopted so it's not wrong or anything."

"I never thought it was," I said. Hell as long as they weren't blood family, it honestly didn't matter. At least not to me.

We all decided to go downstairs, into the basement, and watch a movie and hang out. I told them I'd catch up, I wanted to make some popcorn first. I told them to start the movie without me.

After searching for 5 minutes, I finally located the goddamn popcorn and threw it in the microwave. As I turned it on, I found myself mesmerized by the rotating bag. It took me a few seconds to realize someone was knocking on the front door.

I straightened up and walked into the foyer. Opening the door, I couldn't help but gasp. Standing there was the most…unbelievably gorgeous man I'd ever seen. He was dressed in all black, much like Rose was. Pinned to his shirt was a button that said 'Cross my heart and hope you die.' His bronze hair blew in the gentle breeze but I don't think that was why his hair looked like he just crawled out of bed.

The strangers green eyes pierced mine with untold secrets and I knew right away I was going to like him.

"Hello," I said quietly, shy again.

**A/N:** Soooooooooo…I'm back! What do with think? Hmm? Do we like it? So just some notes…this story is going to be dark. Their will probably be some scenes that the younger audience/readers/whatever can't handle. I'm not going to sugar coat my story for anyone. Also, it's probably going to be around a week between postings. I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do about that. _The link to the outfits is on my profile. _The collection will be updated every chapter! **Please review. **Much love!


	4. Of Cupcakes And Crooked Smiles

**NSFW/S**

_**Quote Of The Day: I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. ~Dr. Seuss**_

"Hi. My name's Edward Masen. You must be Isabella. My sister Alice asked me to come over," the gorgeous stranger said quietly. He flashed me a crooked smile that had my mind reeling with a million different fantasies.

"Come in. Alice is downstairs with everyone else. It's just Bella by the way," I told him as the microwave dinged in the background.

"Bella. Hmm…I like it. Can I help you with the popcorn?" Edward asked kindly as he sniffed the air.

"Uh…sure," I said. I had mistakenly looked into his eyes and what I saw there was both frightening and exciting. His eyes held many secrets. They looked like they saw everything.

Edward followed close by my side. I yearned to reach out and take this strangers hand. But I silenced that part of me with simple logic. For now.

I pulled the bag out of the microwave carefully, having way to much experience with burning myself with the hot bag. Edward pulled out 7 bowls from the cupboard, setting them carefully on the counter.

Edward then went to my kitchen wall next to the refrigerator and opened up a panel I hadn't noticed before. I must admit, I was shocked. I had never seen anyone open up a wall like that before. At least not in person. Apparently the house had a dumbwaiter system in it. So cool.

Edward placed the bowls of popcorn in the dumbwaiter as I filled them. We worked in near silence, yet it wasn't uncomfortable. Soon we had all the bowls full and ready to go.

Edward closed the wall and followed me downstairs. I couldn't help but gasp as we walked into the basement. It was amazing. The carpet and wood moldings were black, the recliners were deep purple as were the walls, and the snack bar was dark blue. The only thing missing was a popcorn machine and a soda jerk. I might have to fix that.

G.I. Joe: Rise Of The Cobra was playing on the huge movie screen. It was one of my favorite new movies. No one noticed Edward or I until we started passing out popcorn. Then of course Jake had to open his fat ass mouth.

"Mmm…" Jake said as Edward handed him a bowl. "Screw the popcorn, I'd rather eat you."

"Be careful big boy. I bite back," Edward purred before coming to sit by me.

Everyone became engrossed in the film again, Emmett especially, as I let my mind drift to the fantasy that started the moment I opened the front door.

Cold hard lips pressing against mine. A soft sweet kiss that warmed me to my toes.

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up, holding me by my ass. He sat me down on the kitchen counter, never letting his lips leave mine. His hands roamed my body, exploring me thoroughly.

Edward's lips left mine and started traveling down my neck, over to my pulse point. When he started teasing my throat a low moan escaped my lips. Edward's reaction to the primal sounds escaping me was obvious. I could feel his hard cock pressing against my pussy through our clothes.

I felt a sticky sweet liquid pooling between my legs as Edward's fingers reached down there.

"Oh kitten," Edward purred. "I bet you taste so good."

Edward made quick work of my bottoms, peeling them off without a second thought. A moan came out when he saw my underwear. Apparently he had a thing for cupcakes. I smiled deviously, glad I could tease him.

Edward licked my kitty through my panties, tasting my sweet surprise. He bit down gently and I lost what minuscule self control I'd been holding on to.

"Edward," I moaned, pleading. For what? I didn't really know. I just knew I needed him in ways I'd never needed anyone before.

"Yes kitten?" Edward teased as he slowly pulled down my underwear.

"Please," I muttered as Edward's tongue grazed my inner thigh.

Edward chuckled wickedly. He knew how close and yet how far away he was. Just as Edward's tongue was about to finally reach my bundle of nerves, I heard someone calling my name.

"Bella? Yo! Isabella?!" Emmett practically shouted in my ear.

"What?" I growled, pissed that my oh so naughty fantasy had been interrupted!

"Uh…you fell asleep Baby Bell. Movie's over," Emmett explained, looking afraid that I might kill him. I just might actually.

"Oh," I said dumbfounded.

"Yeah. We were wondering if you'd like to come over and meet Esme? We have some stuff we have to go over for work," Alice said.

I smiled and agreed to go with them then looked down. No way in hell was I meeting Esme half dressed. I rushed upstairs to change. It was definitely going to be an interesting day.

I looked high and low for my bag, finally finding it stuffed in a corner. I grabbed a quick shower and dressed in a simple outfit, including the cupcake underwear from my fantasy. My shirt even had a cupcake on it. I wanted to see just how accurate my fantasy was.

As I came down the stairs, my eyes locked with Edward's and saw that yes, cupcakes were a weakness of his.

**A/N:** _So, sorry it's short. I have H1N1._ I caught it from my cousins friend when we all shared a bed at his house. Actually we all got it. Kill us. LOL! I promise the next one will be longer. _As far as Things Remembered goes, I'm thinking about putting it on hiatus for a while. _Until I get this going at least. **Sorry no sex for Bell & Ed. At least not in chapter 4.** But don't worry, they might get there eventually.** Reviews let me know it's worth it!**


	5. Showing Scars

**_Edward's Point Of View_**

**Quote Of The Day:** Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense.

Bella came downstairs wearing a shirt with a cupcake on it and I felt my dick getting rock hard in my suddenly too tight pants. Renee had always said her daughter was beautiful but wow…

"You okay big boy?" Bella asked just loud enough for me to hear as she walked by. I wanted to touch her so bad, and I had the perfect idea.

"Jazz, Em, wanna race around the block?" I asked, knowing the would say yes because of their innate need to compete.

"Racing with you is never fair. We all know you're the fastest," Emmett complained. I smiled wickedly, knowing Emmett hated loosing to me. Or anyone for that matter.

"Fine Emmett. Let's make this a little more…interesting. How about you carry Rose, Jazz carries Alinsanity, and I'll carry Bella. Jacob can go straight to the house and be the official judge. Sound good?" I asked.

Everyone agreed so Alice gave Jacob directions to our house from Jasper's back. I bent down enough for Bella to climb unto my back. She was far too light for her size. She had to weigh the same as Ali but Bella was at least 4 inches taller. Besides, Ali has an eating disorder.

Bella started running her fingers through my hair as we waited for the race to begin. I sighed, strangely content with having her playing with my hair.

When Alice shouted go, I took off as fast as I could. Carrying Bella slowed me down, but hardly enough to be significant. When Bella and I rounded the first corner I asked her if she could see the others.

"Mhmm…Rose is hitting Em with her shoe really far back. Alice seems to be using a different tactic on Jasper. She's kissing the back of his neck…I think. They're back there but we're so gonna win," Bella informed me.

I doubted Alice was kissing Jasper. It was more likely she was threatening him with everything she had. Alice could be very vicious when she didn't get her way. It was quite scary actually.

I could see Esme standing with Jacob all to soon. I didn't want the race to be over. This stranger made me forget my past like no one else had been able to and I never wanted to let her go but I knew I had to. Someone as perfect as her could never want someone as fucked up as me.

We reached Jacob and Esme first but had to wait for the rest of the group to reach us so I got to feel the comforting weight of Bella on my back for a few more minutes.

"The winners are the beautiful Isabella and the sexy Edward…of course," Jacob announced.

Bella jumped off my back and I instantly felt like a piece of me was missing. Then Bella came in from of me and hugged me tightly. I silently prayed she couldn't feel my rock hard cock pressing against her stomach. Ha! Yeah, like I can get that lucky.

"Edward," Bella whispered in my ear. "I think you've got a big…problem…"

I gave her a quick squeeze, letting her know I heard her before I let her go.

"Bella, I'd like to meet my mother Esme. Esme, this is Bella, Renee's daughter," Alice said, bouncing and gesturing. My little crack harpy.

"Nice to meet you Bella. I'm so sorry for your loss my dear," Esme said as she hugged Bella, planting a gentle kiss on top of her head.

I had never felt so jealous of Esme for absolutely no reason other than her lips got to touch Bella's sweet, sweet head.

"It's nice to meet you too," Bella said, smiling brightly. Such a sweet smile. And oh what I'd love to do with those lips. This is so not helping my…issue.

"Please come inside," Esme said, leading us into the house and of course directly into the kitchen. It was almost 4 after all. Time of Alice's afternoon snack. It was Esme's way of making sure she didn't starve herself.

"Cupcakes!" I shouted, launching myself across the room towards the island upon which sat a plate of cupcakes decorated like The Cookie Monster, complete with cookie coming out of it's mouth. I grabbed the plate and rushed to the table. I glared at anyone who dared look at my cupcakes, threatening them with a spork.

Esme just laughed and said, "Please excuse my son. He's got a small cupcake problem." She walked over to the cupboard and pulled a fuller plate of cupcakes out for them.

"Better than smack," I mumbled through a cupcake. Thankfully Esme's cupcakes taste better than smack.

The rest of the family plus Jacob and the beautiful Bella sat down around me so we could get down to business.

"Alright, with classes coming up again we need to reorganize our schedules. As we all know Angela won't be able to return to work for a few months due to her pregnancy and Laurent has moved to Alaska. Jazzy, Em, and Rosie are going to be taking night classes so they'll be able to cover the store in the mornings. Edward and I are taking morning classes so we can cover the store at night with Ben. Zafrina and Maggie have agreed to do swing shift as needed. Any questions?" Alice asked, looking at us as though she dared us to challenge her.

"Yeah, where do y'all work at?" Bella piped up.

"We own a tattoo shop called Dermal Addiction. Em, Jazz, Zafrina, Ben, and I do the tattooing. Rose, Ali, Maggie, and usually Angela pierce," I told her, wondering what she would think. After all, I doubt Mayberry has a tattoo shop.

"Really? I've been meaning to get another tat but couldn't once Inked shut down. And Jelly Bean never got her foot done like she wanted. Y'all any good?" Jacob asked. I'll admit, he was certainly charming. Still hate him. Lucky bastard.

"Well I did Jasper's chest and Edward's back. Jazz did my wrist and Edward did my spine," Emmett said, holding up his wrist for Bella and Jacob to see.

"That's amazing," Bella said, reaching out a finger to stroke the skull and cross bones.

Emmett stood, facing the wall and took off his shirt. A little below the base of his neck was a rose in full bloom with the name Rosalie trailing below it. It was one of my crowning glories. All along Rosalie's name were falling petals. The gathered in a pile below and flanking the e. It was in reference to Rosalie's favorite movie.

Emmett put his shirt on before facing the table again, careful not to show his chest.

"I'd show you mine but I'm afraid I have to run. Ali, Em, y'all ready to go?" Jazz said. I knew he hated showing off his body. That's why he always wore long sleeve shirts. Even in the middle of summer…in Chicago.

Jacob and Bella spoke to Esme and Rose while I snuck upstairs. The urge to self-mutilate was raging through me. I wanted Bella so bad. My fingertips itched to feel her body but more strongly, to feel the cold steel of the blade.

Instead of searching one out, I went to my room on the 3rd floor and started to drum on my piano keys. Music had saved my life so many times. Music got me of smack and cupcakes helped keep me off.

I heard footsteps coming slowly up the stairs and sighed. I knew Rose would be annoyed with me for just walking out without a word but she of all people should understand.

I continued to play the piece from my head and heart, choosing to ignore Rosalie completely. I was shocked when the song had come to a close and she had yet to interrupt me. Maybe I'd imagined the footsteps. God, I pray I just imagined the footsteps.

"Why did you stop playing?" A voice that was definitely not Rosalie's asked cautiously.

I spun around quickly, almost falling off the bench in the process. "Because the song was over."

"Oh," was all she said as she came over and sat beside me on the bench. She started stroking the keys gently, never putting enough pressure on them to make noise. She looked so sad, so vulnerable.

"Would you like me to play you another one?" I asked her, wanting her to smile again.

"Yes please," she said and I let my fingers drift melodically across the keys. Esme's Favorite filled the room.

Esme's Favorite was Esme's life story told without words. The pain of losing her son, the depression that followed, her suicide attempt, finding Carlisle and their passionate love, adopting 5 motley children, and watching them grow. I'd written it after Esme broke down on what would have been Logan's 18th birthday. It was the only time I'd seen her weak…and drunk.

"Did you write that?" Bella asked, still so quiet.

"Yes. For Esme," I told her.

Bella sighed and said, "I'm sorry I invaded your privacy. I was just worried. You took off so suddenly."

"I know I left in a hurry but…" I started, wondering if I should tell her the truth. Or part of it anyways. I would never tell her how much I cared for her; even if I'd only known her for a few hours. "Look, I had to get away. I felt like cutting and needed my piano. The music calms me. Keeps me sane…ish…"

Bella smiled and showed me her wrist. I could see the faded pink lines of past regrets that mirrored my own. Maybe Bella was broken too. But not as broken as me. No one could be as broken as me.

"When did you stop?" I asked her. I couldn't see any new ones. At least not on her wrist.

"About a year ago when Jacob moved in. He would always stop me before I could start and then one day I just didn't need to be stopped anymore. What about you?"

"My last relapse was yesterday. That's why no one could find me this morning. I felt to ashamed to face them. My ex…Tanya…came to the shop last night. She said some things that really hurt me. But it was my first relapse in 2 months. So who told you about my cupcake fetish?" I asked, wanting to steer the conversation away from me. From my fuck up.

"Let me see," Bella demanded, ignoring my question.

I sighed and stood up. I started to undo my belt and I swear I've never seen a person turn that shade of red THAT fast.

"NOT THAT,' she hissed. "Your cuts."

I just laughed a little and pulled my pants down. Standing in nothing but my shirt and boxers in front of the most beautiful woman ever was hard. Literally.

"My family would notice my wrists, so I cut my thighs. Now, who told you about my cupcake problem?" I asked again as I pulled my pants up.

"No one. I had a dream about you during the movie today and umm I wanted to see how accurate my dream was," Bella confessed turning if possible even redder.

"What was your dream about?" I asked.

"Cupcakes, duh!" Bella said looking between me and the door. Probably trying to figure out the best means of escape.

"And where were these cupcakes?" I asked, inching for the door. Sudden movements would alert her to my plan.

"In front of you," she said slowing, starting to stand up.

"What did I do with the cupcakes?" I asked, almost close enough to shut the door.

"You moved them to get to the kitty hiding behind them but not before you bit them," Bella said, making a mad dash for the door. To bad I was quicker.

I shut and locked the door, taking the key out. I was so thankful I had an old fashioned lock on my door. Made taking prisoners so much easier.

**A/N:** More soon.


	6. Sharing A Broken Heart

**Quote Of The Day:**_Rape is the easiest charge to make and the most difficult to prove._

Edward threw the key out the window. Just threw it out. Fuck me sideways. I started screaming. Maybe Jacob could break the door down.

"It's useless," Edward said as he sat on the windowsill. "My room's soundproof. To much piano at 1 in the morning."

I felt the panic bubbling up inside me. I had to get away, get somewhere safe. I thought Edward was different but in reality he was just like Tyler.

I saw Edward's room had an attached bathroom. If only I could get in there.

Edward closed his eyes, deep in thought and I saw my opportunity. I ran as fast as I could, slamming the bathroom door behind me as I twisted the lock into place. For someone as clumsy as me, that was pretty damn smooth. Edward hit the door seconds later.

I didn't realize I was crying until a hot tear fell onto my hand as I was curled into a ball between the toilet and tub.

"Bella? Shit. Please come out. I'm not going to hurt you. Fuck. I just wanted to get to know you. Please don't cry," Edward begged from his side of the door. His voice was filled with sorrow and regret.

"By locking me in a room with you and throwing the key out the window?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Not my most brilliant idea thus far but I knew you were lying about what happened in your dream and I wanted the truth. You fascinate me Isabella Swan. I've never met a girl like you. So broken and yet so put together," Edward confessed. I still wasn't coming out. Not yet at least.

"I lied because it's not normal to have explicit dreams about strangers," I told him as I moved to sit with my back against the door.

"Oh…Please do elaborate," Edward murmured and I could almost feel his blush trying to match my own.

"I had a sex dream about you okay? There were cupcake underwear and my kitchen counter. Need I say more?" I said quickly.

"Did we umm…you know?" Edward asked shyly.

"No. Em woke me up before anything could really happen. You did get a little taste of the cupcakes though," I told him, blushing redder than a brick.

"Oh…I bet you taste good…Would you please come out now?" Edward asked me. I sighed and looked around the bathroom. Everything was either silver or gold…including the toilet. I stood and unlocked the door, opening it slowly.

Edward was sitting on the floor next to the door with his back resting against the wall. He looked so worried and cute. Definitely cute.

He stood slowly, obviously not wanting to scare me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have freaked you out like that. If I'd known how scared you'd be, I would have never done it," he whispered, looking guilty and ashamed.

"No Edward, I'm sorry. Normal people wouldn't have reacted like that. But I just started having flashbacks of Tyler and freaked," I admitted to him, something I'd never admitted to another guy before.

"Who's Tyler, Bella? What did he do to you?" Edward asked, looking so concerned.

The tears started falling again as he lead me to the black sofa on the far side of the room. We sat down and I curled up into a ball next to him with my head in his lap. I felt safe here. Safer than I had felt with any guy (other than my friends and family) before.

"Tyler was my boyfriend. When I was 15, he was 18. He almost killed me with his van that winter and to make up for it he took me out. I didn't really like him but I was so happy a senior had asked me out. We dated for about 2 months when he started pressuring me. I told him I wasn't ready.

A few days later I was at his house while his parents were working. They weren't supposed to be home for a few hours at least. He locked me in his room and he…he raped me. I just laid there, praying it would be over soon. He started beating me, because I wasn't responding. His dad came home early from work and saved me. If it weren't for him I would be dead.

The doctors said I had 6 broken ribs, a broken arm and clavicle, and many more bruises. Tyler was arrested and sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison. 3 days later he was stabbed to death by another inmate," I whispered, trying to control the fear and the tears.

Edward simply held me close, not saying a word. Yet in the silence I found more comfort than I'd ever believed possible.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I…I've never wanted to kill a dead man before. Actually I've never wanted to kill anyone this badly before. I knew you were broken, I could see it on your arms, but I never would have guessed…never imagined…" Edward said, at a loss for words.

I wasn't sure what to say but before I could even fathom a response, Rosalie's voice filled the room, "Let us in you moron! There's been an emergency."

Edward jumped up and pulled a spare key out of his dresser. Standing on the other side of the door was Rosalie, Esme, and Jacob. All looked panicked.

"Bella baby, we have to go. It's Emily. Sam called. Emily has Placental Abruption. She might not make it. They're going to do an emergency C-Section," Jacob said in a rush.

The tears that I had finally got under control began to fall fast and hard. Sam and Emily had been through so much already. They didn't deserve this.

"How are we going to get there?" I asked.

"Fly. There has to be a flight going to Seattle. Or maybe we can get lucky and find a flight to Forks Airport," Jacob said, obviously freaking out.

"Take ours," Esme said. "It's fueled and ready to go. I can easily have the destination changed from Paris to Forks."

"Thank you so much Esme," I told her, hugging her close. "I'll repay you. I swear."

"There's no need to repay me dear. Now I can have the plane flyable in an hour. How soon can you be ready?" Esme asked.

"10 minutes. Long enough to change and grab a few essential items. The rest can stay here…Shit we never unpacked. Everything's still in the truck."

"Don't worry Bella, we'll take care of everything. Now give me your cell number and I'll give you mine. Just call when you're ready to come home. Run and get your things and we'll take you to the airport," Esme directed us.

"I can't thank you enough," I told her as Jacob and I made our way back to the house.

**A/N:**_I'm sorry it's so short but let's face it, a lot happened. This was a really hard chapter for me to write. My best friend was raped so she helped me with that bit. Next chapter is already almost ½ done._


	7. Then Comes Baby In A Baby Carriage

**Quote Of The Day:**_ A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for._

The plane touched down just before 9 pm and we quickly climbed out into the waiting car. A short 5 minutes later and we were walking through the familiar doors of Forks General Hospital.

"Sam! What's going on?" I yelled as he came into view.

The waiting room was packed with the familiar faces of the family I had grown up with.

"It's a girl. Samantha Elizabeth Isabella Uley. Emily's in a drug induced coma. I can't lose her Jelly Bean, I just can't," Sam whispered, tears streaming down his face. I'd never seen Sam cry before. Not even when Emily was mauled by a wolf when we were all kids.

I wrapped my arms around Sam and held him close. It was all I could do. I couldn't come up with something brilliant to say. I couldn't make it all better. The only person who could make the tears stop was apparently in a coma.

After almost an hour of sitting in that damned waiting room that I was all to familiar with, Dr. Alistair Nomad came out. We had a long history together but I didn't know if something like this was within his range. Broken bones are one thing but fuck, this is no broken bone!

"Hello everyone," Dr. Alistair said. "Samantha Elizabeth is doing very well. She's only 3 weeks pre-mature so that's great news. The baby is in the viewing room but cannot be held yet. Her mother is still in a drug induced coma. The pain would be to much for Emily to bear right now. Only 2 people in her room at once for now. Now, we stopped the bleeding but had to perform a hysterectomy which means Samantha Elizabeth will be her only child. I'm sorry."

Dr. Alistair lead Sam and Claire to Emily's room while the rest of us went to the NICU viewing room. Samantha was a vision of perfection laying swathed in her pink blanket.

My phone started vibrating in my pocket, the sudden shock causing me to jump slightly.

**B-**

**Hey! It's E. You there yet?**

**-E**

I smiled down at my phone. Edward was someone I couldn't wait to get to know.

_E-_

_Yeah. Steal my phone number from your mum?_

_-B_

I wouldn't have been surprised if he had. He seemed very persistent in getting to know me. I didn't understand why though. Who would want to get to know someone as obviously fucked up as me?

**B-**

**Maybe. That okay?**

**-E**

_E-_

_Tis fine. I like talking to you._

_-B_

As I hit send I felt my heart flutter. For someone I'd just met, I liked him an awful lot. I just hoped it wouldn't hurt me in the end.

**B-**

**I like talking to you too. How's Emily doing?**

**-E**

_E-_

_Alive. In a drug induced coma._

_-B_

**B-**

**And the baby?**

**-E**

I smiled at Samantha, so happy to have her in my life. But a part of me was sad I wouldn't get to see her grow up. I would be in Chicago while she grew in La Push.

_E-_

_Samantha Elizabeth Isabella Uley. 3lbs 4oz. 33in. Healthy. 3 weeks early._

_-B_

**B-**

**Beautiful name. My mom was named Elizabeth.**

**-E**

_E-_

_Do you miss her a lot?_

_-B_

**B-**

**Sometimes. Less and less as time goes by. She was a good person…**

**-E**

As I read Edward's latest text I couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story.

_E-_

_Can I ask what happened to her?_

_-B_

**B-**

**You can but not until we're face to face again.**

**-E**

I took some pictures of Samantha with my phone then had Nurse Kate take a group photo of everyone so I could always remember this moment. I sent the picture of Samantha to Edward.

_E-_

_I understand. Isn't she adorable?_

_-B_

**B-**

**She's gonna break hearts. I can't wait to meet her.**

**-E**

I laughed and looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Claire walked right into Quil's waiting arms. I always knew they would end up together. I wondered how long this had been going on.

"Bella? Sam said he wanted me to send you to Emily's room. She's in 307," Claire said from Quil's arms.

I texted Edward and told him I had to go before I shut my phone off, as was hospital policy when going into a patient's room.

Sam was holding Emily's hand when I walked in. Emily's eyes were closed and her heart monitor beeped softly in the background, letting everyone know she was still in there…somewhere.

"Hey Sam," I whispered as I took a seat next to him.

"Hey Jelly Bean. Thank-you for coming. I know you weren't even in Chicago a whole 24 hours," Sam said, his eyes never leaving Emily.

"Sam you know your closer than a brother to me. Emily can get a cold and I'll be right there for you. Like I've always been. Like I should've been this time," I told him, staring at Emily's face. Not at the scars but the beauty that still remained.

"No Bella, you need to have a life of your own. We all know it. Just because your living in Chicago doesn't mean you're not part of the family anymore. Few of us are blood but all of us are brothers and sisters. Emily and I want you to be a part of Samantha's life. We want you to be her Godmother. If anything should ever happen to us, we want you to take care of her. We love you so much Jelly Bean," Sam told me quietly. I was shocked. I figured Claire would be named Samantha's Godmother.

"Of course I'll be Samantha's Godmother. Who are you naming Godfather?" I asked.

"The only guy I trust to raise a child. Since most of the guys cringe at the thought of being dads, but are oh so excited about being uncles," Sam laughed.

"So…Jared?" I said.

"Actually, Paul is who we picked. He's going to be a great father some day," Sam said.

"Paul? Mr. Look-At-Me-The-Wrong-Way-And-I'll-Kill-You? That Paul?" I said incredulously. Paul had a bit of a…temper. The thought of him raising a child was ludicrous.

"Yeah, that Paul. I take it you've never seen him around kids?" Same said.

"Not really. There aren't a lot of kids in our extended family," I said after thinking for a moment.

"That's very true," Sam agreed as Dr. Alistair walked into the room.

"Hello again Sam. Bella. I'm here to take Emily off the coma medication. It could take her anywhere from a few moments to a few days to wake up. We're going to keep her on a morphine drip to mask the pain," the doctor explained.

I left the room, promising to send Paul in to hear the good news. I turned my phone back on as I made my way back o the waiting room. 7 missed calls, 3 voicemails, and 12 unread text messages. I decided to start with the text messages. Only 3 were from known numbers.

**B-**

**You back yet?**

**-E**

Looks like someone couldn't even go a full hour without seeing me. Or well texting me as the case were. The rest were from the other members of the Cullen clan telling me they just heard the news and even a few from old friends around here that had heard. The voicemails were from Alice, Alice, and Charlie.

"Hey Bella! It's Alice. We're on our way. Carlisle is one of the best doctors ever. He'll be able to make sure both Emily and the baby come out perfectly fine! See you in a few hours!" Alice said in her message. The other message was much the same. They're coming here? All of them? Wow…

"Bella?! It's dad. Sue and I just got the messages. We just left Dungeness Bay. We'll be there soon," Charlie said franticly in his message. I had a feeling Sue would be driving.

I turned on my heal and headed back toward Emily's room after I couldn't summon anyone on their cell phones. As I walked in, I head Seth say, "I have nipples Doc. Could you milk me?"

"Wow…I have absolutely no response to that…" I said looking at an awake Emily. I felt like jumping for joy just seeing her eyes open and semi alert.

"Don't worry Bells. Neither do I," Emily said, her voice hoarse.

"Dr. Alistair lifted the visitor limit. Emily made him. Everyone's on their way in," Sam laughed. It was wonderful to see him smiling again.

"Well I have big news too. My new neighbors are about to descend upon us. Dr. Cullen wants to help you and Samantha. I promise you they're all nice people though I haven't met Carlisle yet," I told them.

We all sat with Emily, telling stories of growing up and making predictions of what Samantha would be like growing up. The hours flew by with remarkable speed. Before I knew it, it was 3 in the morning and Emily was long ago passed out.

"I'm looking for Isabella Swan," a beautiful man in his early 30s said. His blonde hair was beautifully sculpted and his honey eyes were sad though he held a smile on his face. It looked like his eyes had seen many a painful thing.

"I'm Bella. Who are you, sir?" I asked politely.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen, it's so wonderful to finally meet you. And this must be Emily?" Carlisle asked, nodding towards a sleeping Emi.

"Yeah, that's Emily. Alice said everyone was coming?" I said.

"Yes, they're in the waiting room. Whom is Emily's husband?" Carlisle asked, looking around the room.

"I'm her husband. Sam Uley," Sam said, standing to shake hands with Carlisle.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Uley. The hospital has agreed to extend privileges to me. That is, if you want my help. On a more personal note, my wife Esme heard about your wife and child and would like to help you in any way she can. She's insistent upon helping to pay your medical expenses. Please do not feel insulted. She means well," Carlisle explained.

"I…I'm not offended sir. Shocked by the sheer kindness of a stranger but not offended. Of course we would greatly appreciate your expertise. The doctors around here are great for the small things but that's the limit of their scope," Sam said. We all nodded in agreement.

"Great. Well I should go check on my family. Isabella, the kids are waiting for you if you wouldn't mind coming with me," Carlisle said. I stood and followed Carlisle out of the room.

Just down the hall in the waiting room were the Cullen's. Edward appeared to be listening to his iPod Touch while Alice and Rose were thumbing through a fashion magazine. Jasper and Emmett were playing poker on the floor.

"You fucking cheated!" Emmett yelled as he threw his cards at Jasper.

"Emmett James McCarty Cullen! Jasper Logan Whitlock-Hale Cullen! You 2 will behave or be punished severely. Is that understood?" Esme said in a menacing tone.

"Yes, ma'am," they muttered together.

"Baby Bell!" Emmett said when he noticed me. I soon found myself engulfed in Emmett's crushing arms.

"Can't…breathe…" I managed to choke out. Emmett put me down immediately.

"Sorry Baby Bell," Emmett said sheepishly.

"It's okay Bear. Just remember, I'm breakable and breathing is an essential part of my life," I told him.

Edward came over and hugged me closely. It was weird…but I liked it. When he stepped back I couldn't help but feel a strange emptiness. I laughed when I noticed his button though and felt instantly cheered up.

"Trust me; I'm a ninja?" I read out loud as I ran my finger over the button.

"I swear I am," he whispered. His lips were almost touching my ear and I could feel his hot breathe sweeping over my neck.

"Where are y'all staying?" I asked as I took a step back.

"The Dew Drop I guess since Carlisle won't let me by a house," Esme said, giving Carlisle a dirty look.

"Darling, when are you ever going to stay in the house other than this week?" Carlisle asked.

Esme looked as though she was thinking hard before saying, "Carlisle David Cullen! I am going to buy a nice little house or better yet a cottage! And there's nothing you can do about it!" Esme said, sticking her tongue out at him.

A/N: So sorry I haven't updated. Been to sick. :-/ Doctors having me on so much crap I can hardly think straight. Hope it doesn't affect my writing. : ) I love you all so much for sticking with me through this. :D


	8. Defying Gravity

**Quote Of The Day:**_ Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness._

"Good morning Baby Bell," Emmett said, his face just inches above mine.

I screamed, pulling my blankets up to my chin, "What the fuck Bear? What are you doing in my room?!"

Looking over at the clock I saw it was after 2. Where the fuck did my day go? The last thing I remember was sitting next to Emily's bed with Sam. How'd I even get back here?

"Jake called. He asked me to make sure you were still alive up here. You've been asleep for almost 13 hours Baby Bell. Are you okay?" Emmett asked, sitting down on my bed.

"I'm okay. It's been a long 8 days Bear. I just think the stress is catching up with me," I told him truthfully.

"Well I have some good news. Dad says Emi can come home today. Sammie too!" Emmett squealed with excitement.

"Really? That's great news!" I practically shouted as Emmett engulfed me in his arms and drug me out of the warmth of my bed.

"Emmett! What the hell?" I yelled as he carried me out the door and down the stairs into the living room.

"Don't be a party pooper! Esme wants everyone over at the house. She's got a big surprise," Emmett explained as he headed towards the front door.

"Dude! I'm in my spankies. At least let me get dressed first," I told him as I beat on his back.

Emmett put me down and I ran back upstairs to get dressed. I wasn't even paying attention as I threw my clothes on.

"Did you get dressed in the dark Baby Bell?" Emmett laughed. I glanced down and laughed too. I was wearing a pale pink skirt with a lavender shirt. The shirt said 'I think I'm afraid to be happy because whenever I get to happy, something bad always happens. - Charlie Brown' in chocolate lettering. I looked like I belonged in freaking middle school again.

"Shut up Bear!" I said as I stormed past him to the huge jeep he'd rented for the duration of his stay. I managed to crawl in without causing myself serious injury and waited for Emmett to do the same.

We drove halfway between Forks and La Push to the cottage like mansion Esme had decided to buy. It was a beautiful place, bigger than any of the other house around here.

When we got there, it looked as though we were tardy for the part. Almost all of the Wolf Pack's cars were here.

Emmett parked the massive jeep next to the other cars before running around and helping me down. We walked into the living room and had to stop just inside the door. The house was packed. The only people missing that I could see were Sam, Emily, and their angel.

"What's going on?" I asked loudly, struggling to be heard over the several different conversations going on at once.

"I asked everyone here today because Emily, Sam, and Samantha are being released. Actually Sam called a few minutes ago and said they were on their way. Now everyone find somewhere to sit. I don't care if you're sitting on each others laps, just sit," Esme said, giving one of her now famous Don't-Fuck-With-Me looks.

I ended up sitting down between Bear and Jake on Edward's lap. Seth was sitting next to me on Jake's lap.

"So Seth, excited about school starting again? It's your last year after all," I asked, trying to make pleasant conversation whilst we waited.

"Not really. After all, the accelerated program sucks. However, being the youngest graduate in La Push High history is pretty damn amazing," Seth laughed.

"My brilliant little brother. Have you thought about coming out to Chicago with Jake and I for school?" I asked him.

"Yes I have. I was actually thinking about transferring schools and coming out now. It's something I've discussed in length with Jake and mum and dad. That is, if you'll have me," Seth said and I could see a faint blush under his russet skin.

"Of course we'll have you Seth! Jake and I adore you. I know we tease you a lot but blood or not you're still family and we love you," I told him, reaching over and hugging him awkwardly. It was difficult to wrap my arms around Seth without falling off Edward or squishing the poor man.

Emily holding a sleeping Samantha walked into the room with Sam following close behind. An excited hush came over the room as Esme rushed over to Emily, hugging her and the baby carefully. Emily was still tender after having major surgery.

"Oh angel! It's so wonderful to finally see you outside the hospital! I have a surprise for you," Esme said.

Emily's russet skin darkened as she said, "Esme, you've done so much for me already. You paid my hospital bills and your husband made sure me and my baby made it out alright. I can't let you do any more."

"You can and you will. It's not charity either so don't even think it. It's one friend helping out another," Esme said, smiling softly at Emily and Sam, leading them to the middle of the living room. "Welcome to your new home."

"Our new what?!" Sam exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"Bella explained the living and family situations of the Wolf Pack to me. I asked her to take me to your house. It's much to small for 3 people, let alone the many that usually stay there. I want to give this house to all of you.

Seeing how Sam is the oldest, he'll be the primary owner but this is for all of you. For Emily, Samantha, Seth, Leah, Paul, Quil, Embry, Colin, Brady, Jared, Claire, Kim, and any one else I don't know about. For this generation, and the next. Forever the home of the Wolf Pack," Esme said.

People I've known all my life and had never seen shed a tear were crying. My father and Jacob's. Sue and the rest of the parents. Even the Cullen's, who must have known what was going on, were misty eyed. In the 8 days the Cullen's had been here, they had found not only friends but an extended family. Leaving was going to be hard but they knew that we had to go. School, the store, and the hospital were waiting. It was time to once again say good bye to my past.

The tears fell harder this time but it was easier. I knew I could make it. Look how fast I got back here this time? I wouldn't have to miss the important things. I was still one of the Wolves. Jake was staying in Forks to help Seth pack. Since Jake was taking a year off school it wouldn't affect him and Seth was going to go to a private school in Chicago that didn't start for another month. They'd fly back to my next week.

As I boarded the plane, I took one final look at Forks. I wasn't all that sorry to see it go this time because I had hope for the future.

"Would you like to come sit with me Bella?" Edward asked once everyone was onboard the plane. And what an amazing plane it was. 2 stories tall, a complete kitchen, a full bathroom, and 3 bedrooms. Plus a living room and a games room.

"Sure," I said, following him into the little dining area attached to the kitchen.

"I want to tell you a story," Edward said after the plane was in the sky. "It's only fair since you told me about…Tyler."

"Okay," I said, trying to smile encouragingly.

"I was 11 when I lost my parents. We were living in a little suburb of Chicago at the time. Everyone assumed it was a safe area. The crime rate was practically nonexistent after all. The occasional petty theft or runaway was all.

My family came from old money but both my parents strived to be great and they were. My mother, Elizabeth Masen, was a famous jewelry designer. Her art works were often worn on the red carpet. My father, Lucas Masen, owned Twilight Records. He never liked me much. I was to much like my mothers side of the family.

One day I came home from school and there were 2 men wearing all black in my living room. My parent's were bound and gagged on the sofa. I started crying as they tied me up as well. They sexually assaulted my mother repeatedly in front of my father and I. They beat all 3 of us repeatedly and made us do terrible things. It went on for 3 long days.

They shot us and left us for dead. By some miracle I survived. When my aunt hadn't heard from any of us for several days, she came down and found me bleeding on the living room floor shortly after the men had left. She saved me and became my mother. She and Carlisle loved me more than Elizabeth and Lucas had.

Later on, we found out the killers had died in a car accident just 4 miles from the house. No one ever found out why they did what they did," Edward told me.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed the tears away. I wanted nothing more than to take all his pain away. My lips moved to his. The kisses were passionate and hungry. I was slowly starting to realize I needed Edward. I felt safe and…whole…around him.

"Ahem…" Emmett said behind us. We jumped apart, causing me to land on the floor. What's one more bruise after all?

"Bear!" I shouted, looking at him upside down. "Don't fucking do that! You could kill someone!"

Emmett let out a hearty laugh and said, "Next time, get a room like the rest of us. Besides, I'm hungry."

Edward flipped Emmett off as he lead me to one of the bedrooms. "Get some sleep Bella. It's late. We'll be home soon."

Edward started to walk out of the room. I grabbed his arm and said, "Stay with me. Please. I don't want to be alone tonight."

Edward climbed into bed next to me, wrapping us both in a heavy comforter. I soon fell asleep to Edward humming an unfamiliar lullaby.

**A/N:** So we have part of what happened to Bella and a good portion of what happened to Edward. But what about Jasper? Emmett? Alice? Rosalie? And what about Esme and Carlisle? Stay tuned to find out. _(Sorry, I've had this for like a month but am just now posting it because I moved and had to wait to post it.)_


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